William mck



WILLIAM Meli. THORNTON, OF CLINTON, WISCONSINv Letters Patent No. 68,468, dated September 3, 1867.

IMPROVED BUCKLE. l

dige Stimuli referrer in iirtlgesc stiets z-itent mit-mating tint nf tige stmt.

TO'ALL WHOM IT MAY OONGERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM McK. THORNTON, of Clinton, in the county of Rock, and State of Wisconsin, have invented au improved TrnceBuekle; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, malagpart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of iny improved trace-buckle complete and ready for use.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the buckle with straps attached.

Figure 3 is a transverse section through thc buckle, taken at the point indicated by redlinc :c ze, in tig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improvement on the construction ot' the trace-buckle for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted to ine on the 24th dayof July, 1866,*in. which a fixed or stationary tongue or stud entered the trace and assisted in holding it firmly against slipping.

The main object of this invention is to provide side supports for the trace and also the haine-tug, at their points of entrance between thc sido bars of the buckle, employing, ulso,'the fixed stud or tongue for holding the trace when attached to the buckle, as will be seen by the following explanation.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

The buckle consists of one piece of metal constructed in the following improved manner: A A are the two longitudinal side hars, which are made flat, and of suitable width at their narrowest part to alord the requisite degree of strength. The widest parts of these side bars are lettered b b, and they should be of such width at these points as will receive between them the trace and hame-tug, and afford lateral support therefor, as shown clearly in fig. 3, in which D represents the trace and E. the haine-tug. The extremiticsof the side bars A A are connected together by means of transverse plates B C, and at an intermediate point -bctween these plates a transverse cylindrical bar, e, is secured to or formed on the side bars, so as to form the means for attaching the haine-tug to the buckle, as shown in fig. 2. The side bars A A are curved, as shown in the sectional view, gf2, and the transverse bar c is so arranged with relation to the front andrear transverse plates B C, that when the trace D Ais passed through the buckle, and attached by the tongue or stud B on the inner side of the plate B, this trace will deviate from a straight line between said plates, as shown in fig.v 2, so that when it is under strong tension it vwill press inward against the pine at one point, and' outward against the plate O at another point. This arrangement will vrelieve much ofthe strain upon the strap ertrace at the point through whichA the tongue B passes, and prevent the holes through thc trace from being enlarged or the trace tearing at these points. This arrangement of the bars B, C, and c also' has a tendency to press the tongue B into its proper hole through the trace when the end of the latter is passed through the box-loop of the heme-tug and drawn tight, and thereby prevent thevtraee from casually slippingfrom its tongue. Another protection against slipping the trace from its tongue is to have the latter enter a hole which is made in the hame-tug E, through its interposed metal plate e, as shown in tig. 2. This holds the parts compactly and strongly together, and-allows the end of fthe haine-tug to come between the ,extensions li b of the side bars, as above described. The bars t a u at 'the sides -aud rear end ot'thc buckle form loops or eyes for the attachment of straps in the u sual well-knownmanner. l

Having described my invention, what I claim as new,` anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The construction of the front portions b b of the curved side bars AA, of such width as to receive between them and ail'ord sido supports for the hame-tugs, substantially as described.

2. A trace-buckle constructed and operating substantially in the manner described.

Witness my hand this .ninth day of April, 1867, in the matter of application'for a .patent on my improvement in buckles. I

WM. McK. THORNTON.

Witnesses:

WALTER IIINCHMAN, J onu KINoDoN. 

